Even the greatest film-makers will have some misfires in their cinematic canon, and Chang Cheh is no exception, with 1977's The Brave Archer probably being the biggest example. Despite having an all-star "who's who" of the Shaw Brothers studio at his disposal, Chang's efforts to bring Jin Yong's classic novel Legend of Condor Heroes to the big screen quickly fall prey to an overly convoluted plot that will leave most viewers -- especially Western ones not familiar with the source material -- scratching their heads and itching for the fast-forward button.

The main star in this cavalcade is Alexander Fu Sheng, who portrays Kuo Tsing, a young man who was adopted by a "family" of kung fu masters and now faces a series of trials from rival clans. The trials are often not the martial arts showdowns you might be expecting. In fact, some of them are a bit goofy, such as one of the final ones, where Kuo basically plays an ancient version of Rock Band, keeping time with a tune belted out on a magic flute -- psychedelic visuals included.

What actual kung fu is displayed is fine, though the gore effects are cheap, even by Shaw Brothers standards. One of the villains is known for using a claw style that rips into flesh, but the onscreen display is obviously just a few dabs of ketchup colored fake blood -- not really scary or powerful looking, to be sure. There are still some good fights to be seen here, but if you're not a die-hard oldschool fan, you may quickly find yourself losing interest and wanting the film just to get straight to the action.

RATING: 5